Portrait and biographical record of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Part 108

Author: Chapman Publishing Company
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: New York, Chapman pub. co.
Number of Pages: 906

USA > Maryland > Portrait and biographical record of the Eastern Shore of Maryland > Part 108

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

908

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

away in 1846. Of their five children four at- tained mature years, namely: James W., of Crumpton, this county; P. T .; Mary E., who is single and resides in Philadelphia; and John E. The second wife of John Potts was Mary Embert, of Caroline County, who died in 1870; of her two children, one survives, George W., now a resi- cent of New Jersey.

When a boy our subject was a pupil in the dis- trict schools, but at the age of seventeen he dis- continued his studies and began to work on the farm for his father. Later he learned the trade of a carpenter, at which he worked for six years. In 1872 lie opened at Hope the general store which he has since conducted, having, during the years of his active business life built up a large trade among the people of the village and sur- rounding country. He is a member of the Meth- odist Protestant denomination and for years has officiated as a trustee of the church. January 6, 1880, he married Margaret M., daughter of Warren Busteed, of an old family of Caroline County. Five children were born to their union, but two alone survive, Mifflin G. and Robert H.

12 C. KIRBY owns and carries on a general store in the village of Trappe, Talbot County. In his large establishment may be found a varied line of provisions, boots and shoes, dry goods, hardware, and farm machinery and fertilizers. He aims to keep his stock re- plenished from time to time with fresh merchan- dise and enjoys a very fair share of the trade that comes from the town and surrounding country. He is pleasant and accommodating to those who choose to give him their custom and has hosts of friends in this community.

D. C. Kirby is in the early prime of vigorous manhood, as his birth took place May 28, 1868. He was born and reared upon a farm in Trappe district, near what was termed Kirby's wharf. Here he dwelt until he was in his sixteenth year, his time being occupied in attending the district schools and in lending what assistance he could

to his father in his work. Then for two years he was a student in the Maryland Military School at Oxford, obtaining the discipline which is of great benefit to a young man starting out upon a use- ful career. Going next to Birmingham, Ala., he succeeded in getting a position in a whole- sale grocery house and continued in the employ of the same firm about seven years. A few years ago he entered into partnership with J. F. Clark of this place, and has since been in business here. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in his political convictions is to be found on the side of the Democracy.

o -

G EORGE L. BRYAN is a substantial farmer and much-respected citizen of the fifth dis- trict of Queen Anne's County, in which locality his ancestors for nearly a century have had their dwelling places. He is a successful farmer and in nearly all of his financial ventures has met with gratifying results. In his early manhood, before settling down to the routine of life, he traveled extensively in the west, and at one time thought seriously of the advisability of locating in the newer country, but his affections still clung to the friends and scenes of his youth, and he eventually returned to become a perma- nent resident here.

Valentine, the paternal grandfather of George L. Bryan, was a native of Virginia, and was a man of unusual ability, energy and ambition. He came to this region in the prime of his early manhood, and at the time of his death, in 1848, he left an estate consisting of four thousand acres of land, situated on Wye Island, and in ad- dition to that valuable property owned at least two hundred slaves. Thus it will be seen that he was a very wealthy man for those days, and consequently much looked up to in the commu- nity. Nor did the regard in which be was held depend solely upon his substantial possessions, for he was actively connected with many of the lead- ing enterprises of his time. He was very liberal with his means and furnished a large share of

909

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the money which went into the building of St. Peter's Catholic Church at Queenstown, Md. He was a Democrat in politics and represented his county in the state legislature during the 40's. He was twice married, and by his first union had four children: John C., William I., Elizabeth and Arthur. Later he married a Miss Ford, who became the mother of Charles J., Edward and Alfred. Charles J. was born in January, 1816, and died in September, 1850. He married Lucretia Emory, and their eldest child, our subject, was born in 1837; Charles Carroll, born in 1839, died in 1872, leaving a wife and two children: Edward K. and Lulu, all residents of Baltimore.

George L. Bryan was reared to mature years in Queen Anne's County, and was twenty-six years of age when he decided to seek a helpmate to share with him his joys and sorrows, as no one but a good wife can. The lady of his choice, to whom he was married in 1863, was Mary H., daughter of John Charles and granddaughter of Dr. Thomas Smyth Willson, from the oldest families of Kent County, Md. They began their happy wedded life together upon a farm of one hundred and forty acres, the one still owned and cultivated by our subject, and here in course of time he erected substantial buildings. His family comprised the following-named children: Kate B., Mary C., Charles, Elizabeth, Oscar, George H., Daniel Carroll, Florence, Jaines B., Edna A. and Leon O. Mr. Bryan supports the Democ- racy, but has never sought public office.

OSEPH M. PARKER was born upon the identical farm where he resides, in Parsons district, Wicomico County. This place is a fine farm of about one hundred acres, the soil be- ing adapted for the raising of cereals, etc. For ten years or more Mr. Parker has been an agent for the Davis, Standard, and Wheeler & Wilson sewing machines, and has sold a large number of them in the county, as well as numerous pianos and organs. He also handles fertilizer, selling

large quantities of it to farmers hereabout. In business affairs he is energetic and persevering, and richly deserves the success which be has won. Being ambitious and enterprising, he prefers not to sit around in partial idleness, as some farm- ers do in the winter season, esteeming it their privilege to "rest on their oars," as it were, after laborious harvest time, and it is during that bleak period that he usually does his outside agency work.

The father of our subject was Levin Parker, a son of John W. Parker, both natives of this coun- ty. After a very busy and useful life, Levin Parker received his summons to the silent land, dying when in his seventy-eighth year. He had been an agriculturist and a very prosperous one, and left a valuable estate. To himself and wife, who was a Miss Brewington before their marriage, there were born six children, three of whom only survive. John W., Jr., is a farmer of this district. Lizzie is the widow of E. Walston.

Joseph M. Parker was born September 15, 1847, and quietly spent his boyhood upon his father's farm. His education was that of the public schools of his home neighborhood, supple- mented by a course of instruction in the Salisbury high school. This was after he had arrived at his majority, however, but he was so anxious to avail himself of the advantages of a higher edu- cation that he went for two years to school in Salisbury after the twenty-first anniversary of his birthday. He then passed the teacher's exam- ination and was placed in charge of a school. He continued to teach for six years with good re- sults, and to the satisfaction of parents, pupils and directors alike. At the end of that period he returned to the old farm, which he has operated ever since. He is particularly fond of gardening, and few better gardens than his can be found in any community. Ever since he received the right of franchise he has voted the straight Dem- ocratic ticket.

In 1877 Mr. Parker married Miss R. A. Fooks, and eight children came to grace their union; seven of the number are living, one having died in infancy. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church and are active in all kinds of

910

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

good works. The children are all bright, ambi- tious young people and are rapidly preparing themselves for the battle of life, by making the best of their educational advantages.

HOMAS V. FRANKLIN, M. D., a leading. citizen of Berlin, Worcester County, has been frequently highly honored in being chosen to represent his associates and neighbors in public positions, and has always acquitted himself with distinction. In the fall of 1891 he was elected a member of the Maryland legislature and occupied that place for one term. In 1896 he was elected to succeed Calvin B. Taylor in the office of county school examiner, secretary and treasurer. Since becoming a voter he has given his allegiance to the Democratic party.

Berlin numbers the doctor among her distin- guished native sons. He was born here in July, 1860, his parents being Littleton Purnell and Saralı E. Franklin. He is one of five children, of whom the eldest, Emily P., died unmarried; the only other son, William C., is a resident of Baltimore, and the two surviving daughters, Mary I. and Louisa R., live with our subject in his charming home. After completing his high- school education in Berlin he entered the medi- cal department of the University of Virginia, at- tending one course of lectures. He then went to Jefferson Medical College, graduating therefrom with the class of 1883. Returning home, he pur- chased the drug store which he has since superin- tended. His friends are numbered by the scores, and wherever he goes he is a universal favorite.

Littleton Purnell Franklin, the doctor's father, was a native of this county, and besides being a classical scholar, was exceedingly well versed in law. He occupied many local positions of politi- cal or public honor, and was an elder in the Presbyterian Church, with which his family are yet identified. He was at various times a mem- ber of the Maryland house of delegates and sen- ate, and was also one of those who participated in the state constitutional convention. At the

time of liis death, in 1888, he was a member of the state central committee. The family of which he was so worthy a representative originated in England. His grandfather, Isaac Franklin, mar- ried Martha, daughter of William Iranshire, of England, who was then residing in that part of Maryland now comprised within Worcester County. He was immensely wealthy and owned large tracts of land. He left but one child, the daughter Martha just mentioned. She became the mother of several children: Sallie, who mar- ried Dr. Robert Purnell; Henry, our subject's grandfather; Mrs. Amelia Covington; Mrs. Milcah Spence; Louisa, who married Jolin Richardson (and one of whose children became Lady Cart- wright); and Mary, wife of Dr. James Purnell. Henry Franklin married Mary Iranshire Purnell, and to them were born Thomas Isaac and Little- ton Purnell. Both of these graduated from Yale, the latter when but eighteen years of age, the youngest in his class.

EORGE ALFRED COX is a very progress- ive and enterprising business man of upper Fairmount district, Somerset County. He possesses a spirit that is not daunted by difficul- ties, and though the obstacles in his way might have made many a man quail, he has always bravely met every such trial and has overcome ad- verse circumstances in a manner deserving of the success that he has won.

A son of Elijah Cox, who is still living in this county, our subject was born in Somerset in 1854. He received a liberal education, supple- menting his public-school studies by a course in an academy. From the time that he attained his majority he has been active in the mercan- tile world, though he has been in business upon his own responsibilities only since 1882. He learned the various branches of general mer- chandising from the firm of Miles, Avery & Co., though when he was first connected with them he had no capital whatever; in the course of a few years he had so well succeeded that he

9II

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

bought out the firm and had paid off all of his in- debtedness, when his store was burned by an incendiary. His present fine business building was at once begun by him, and in every way it is superior to the one that was destroyed. It is a model of convenience and is commodious and well lighted. He does a general business, carry- ing in stock a varied line of supplies such as is required to meet the country trade. In the mean- time he has been more or less interested in con- tracting and building, and many substantial and beautiful structures throughout the county bear witness of his skill and workmanship. Much of the lumber that he thus uses is sawed in his own sawmill.

Among the beautiful homes of the village is that of our subject, and its fair hostess was for- merly Miss Susie E. Miles, daughter of Daniel Miles. Mr. and Mrs. Cox were married in 1882 and have two children: Richard Allen and Elsie Merrill. The parents are members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, Mr. Cox being a steward in the same and a trustee, as well as being a member of the conference. Since 1884 he has af- filiated with the Prohibition party. Socially he is a member of the Improved Order of Heptasophs, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Red Men and the Order of Columbus.

DWIN W. SPEAR. The milling industry is not the least important among the busi- ness interests of Kent County. From an early day in the settlement of the Eastern Shore much attention has been devoted to this line of labor and those who have engaged in it have uniformly met with success. The Millington roller mills have secured for their owner, Mr. Spear, a reasonable degree of financial success and have also enhanced the business importance of Millington.

Mr. Spear has been a life-long resident of this village, where he was born August 15, 1841.

He is of Irish descent; his paternal grandfather having emigrated from Ireland to America in early manhood and made settlement probably in Delaware. Little is known concerning his life except that he engaged in farm pursuits and that he attained an advanced age. The father of our subject, James Spear, was born and reared upon a farm in Delaware, but removed to Kent County, Md., when a young man, and the re- mainder of his life was spent upon a farm here. For several years he conducted a general store at Millington, in addition to managing his farm. A prosperous and successful man, at his death he left a valuable estate. Politically he voted the Democratic ticket, but never desired office. He was very active mentally and physically until a short time before his death, which occurred when he was seventy-four. His wife, Elizabeth, a native of Delaware, died at seventy-five years of age, leaving seven children, four of whom still survive.

The public schools of Millington furnished Mr. Spear with a fair education as a basis upon which to rear the superstructure of a business life. When twenty-one years of age he enlisted in the Confederate army, becoming a member of the First Maryland Cavalry under Colonel Brown and serving for three years, until the close of the war. During the most of the time he was in Virginia. He was captured on the Rapidan River and taken prisoner, and as such was held about six months. At another time, while fighting at Beaver Dam, his horse was shot from under him. At the close of the war he re- turned to Millington, where he engaged in farm- ing until 1887. That year he rented his place and removed into the village, where he has since re- sided, having been proprietor of the Millington roller mills since 1892. As a member of the Democratic party he has been active in local politics and for two termis he was county tax collector. His membership is in the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has held official positions, having been trustee, steward and a class-leader since 1895. Six children cante to bless the marriage of our subject and Lucy Hurtt, of Millington: James Edwin, who is en-

912

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

gaged in farin pursuits; L. R .; Franklin Lee; Emily E .; Edna J. and Esther, all of whom are at home.

OTES OF THE FAMILY OF WORTH- INGTON. The surname Worthington, like many other family names, is derived from the locality where the first known progeni- tor of the family resided. As to its etymology, it is generally agreed to be from three Saxon words, viz., "Wearthingtonie," farm in town.

About twenty miles northeast of Liverpool, in the Hundred of Leyland and parish of Standish, is the township of Worthington. Here or in the adjacent manors resided for many centuries the family of Worthington, "established," says Burke, "in high reputation or repute from the time of the Plantagenets." We quote from Camden's description of Lancashire, and little towns, which gave names to considerable families, and are to-day possessed by persons of their own names, Aston of Aston, Atherton of Atherton, Worth- ington of Worthington. These and such like families in these northern counties owe their rise to their valor and to their frugality, content with their own estates, etc. The family of Worthington appear to have been distinguished rather for plain living and heroical acting, rather than by arts of courtiers. The main stock can be traced in the public archives as far back as Worthington de Worthington, 20th of Henry III., 1236-37, the progenitor of all the Lancashire Worthingtons. The old hall of Worthington, where the family resided for seven hundred years, was pulled down not many years since. The present repre- sentative of the direct line is Edward Worthing- ton, of the Bryn Co., Chester. By intermarriage, about the time of Henry VII., of William Worth- ington with Jane, daughter of William Norreys, of Speke, the family trace their descent to the Norrises, ancestors of the Earls of Abigdon, the Molyneix of Sefton, the Villers, senior branch of the ducal stem of Buckingham and the baronial house of Harrington.

About the time of Edward IV., three branches shot off from the main stock, viz .: Worthingtons of Cross Shawe, of Blainsco and of Shevington, who by marriage became allied with many of the leading gentry of Lancashire. The Ashtons, the Andersons, Levers, Owells, Radcliffes, Lauren- ces, Byrons and Standishes, ancestors of stout Miles Standish, the captain of the Plymouth Band. The descendants of these progenitors were very numerous in the County of Lancaster in the time of Charles I.

All those who bear the name of Worthington in this country, so far as known, derive their origin from two sources, viz .: first, from an emi- grant ancestor who settled in Maryland, from whom, among others, descended the late Governor Worthington of Ohio, and L. Worthington, M. D., of Cincinnati, Ohio; second, from Nicholas Worthington, who came to New England in 1650 and was the only emigrant who settled in that section of the country. According to the family tradition, Nicholas Worthington was a considerable land owner near Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, and fought and was wounded in the Cromwellian wars, in which conflicts his estates were confiscated.

This tradition, transmitted to the Rev. William Worthington of Saybrook, grandson of Nicholas, was by him transmitted through his daughter, Elizabeth Worthington Chauncey, to her son, Worthington Gallop Chauncey, of Durham, Conn., an accurate preserver of historical facts and traditions, and by him, prior to his death in 1859, communicated to the present writer. The rather uncommon name of Nicholas was borne by two of the Shevington Worthingtons, viz .: Nicholas W., of Shevington, time of Henry VIII., and by his grandson, Nicholas W., time of Eliza- beth and James I.

There is now in possession of William Chaun- cey Fowler, of Durham County, an ancient silver tankard or pitcher, which has descended in the family as an heirloom for at least four genera- tions. Its massive mold and antique shape would indicate an age coeval with the settlement of this country. Deeply, though rudely, engraven on the front is the ancient armor of the Worth-

913

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ingtons, a copy which is attached to this, de- scribed in heraldic terms as follows: Argent, "This assembly do establish and confirm Mr. Elijah Worthington to be a captain of the second company or train band in the town of Colchester, Conn." three dung forks, sable crest, a goat statant or passant, argent holding in the mouth an oak branch, vert, fructed or motto Virtute, Dignus, Avorum. These arms are still borne by - the Worthingtons of Lancashire and Cheshire. The above was extracted from articles by W. Worthington Fowler, in the Heraldic Journal of April, 1868. (So far we have not found any con- firmation of the statement that Elizabeth Foote was a daughter of Capt. Elijah Worthington. ) - Issue of John and Sarah Worthington: Thomas,

Captain Worthington was born at Hartford, June 16, 1710, and died October 13, 1764. He married, October 4, 1733, Mary Willis, and we find the following children: Elijah, born January 1, 1736; Mary, baptized June 24, 1759; Judith, baptizedJanuary 24, 1742; John, born February 17, 1744; Gad and Dan, twins, born June II, 1747. Whether or not Mary Willis was his only wife we are not able to say.

As to your Worthington line, we beg to say, so soon as we found that the first Elijah Worth- ington did not have a daughter Elizabeth, we began to search for the second Elijah, and are able to report gratifying results. The second Elijah married, April 29, 1756, Anna Lovet, daughter of Rev. Jos. Lovet, an Episcopal minis- ter, and by her had a daughter, Elizabeth, born January 15, 1757. This daughter is without doubt your Elizabeth, and this Elijah is described on his grave stone at Colchester as captain. The stone notes his death on July 15, 1797, in his sixty-second year. Anna died March 19, 1814, in her seventy-sixth year. These facts show you have both Willis and Lovet blood. We find that the second Elijah Worthington was a lieu- tenant in Capt. Amos Jones' company, from Col- chester, and was among those who responded to the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1775. He served ten days. His title of captain prob- ably arose from his holding such position in the Connecticut militia after the Revolutionary war. Capt. Elijah Worthington was in the military service during the French and Indian war, by virtue of the following appointment of the general assembly of Connecticut:

"May, 1755

Capt. John Worthington (was living in Mary- land, 1675) born 1650, died April 9, 1701; married Sarah, daughter of Matthew Howard, of Anne Arundel County, Md. Her mother was Sarah, daughter of Col. Edward D'Arcy, or Dorsey, who died in the same county in 1659. who married Elizabeth Ridgely. He was born January 8, 1691; married July 23, 1711, and died in March, 1753. His wife died December IO, 1734.

Issue of Thomas and Elizabeth Worthington: Nicholas, born March 29, 1733-34; married Tues- day, October 1, 1751 (Catherine Griffith, born May 31, 1732; died 1793). Col. Nicholas W. died in 1793.

AMES E. McDANIEL, who formerly was engaged in the drug business, is now the owner and occupant of a farm in Talbot County, to the management of which much of his time is given. The place lies in Bay Hun- dred district and comprises one hundred and seventy-seven acres, bearing the improvements that characterize a model estate. As a Democrat, he has been prominent in local matters and has been a delegate to state Democratic conventions several times. For twelve years he was a mem- ber of the board of county school commissioners, and for six years he served as chairman of the board of county commissioners. In 1896 he was general assessor of the county.

In Chapel district, this county, Mr. McDaniel was born October 14, 1834. The family is of Irish origin. His grandfather, James M., a native of Bay Hundred district, carried on a wheelwright's and blacksmith's shop and owned

914

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

several farms around McDanieltown, a town that was named in his honor. The father of our sub- ject, John W. S. McDaniel, was born in this county, and spent most of his life as a merchant and farmer at McDanieltown. Politically a Dem- ocrat, he was on that ticket elected judge of the orphans' court. The latter part of his life was spent on the farm now occupied by our subject, and here he died in 1863, at fifty-six years of age. He was a man well known throughout his locality and had many friends among the best citizens of the county. His first wife, Sarah, was a daughter of James Wrightson, and by her he had four children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are: James E .; Mrs. M. A. Bunsfield, of Royal Oak; and Mrs. G. E. Booth, living near Matthews. The second wife was Ann Wrightson, a sister of the first, and eight children were born of that union, namely: Lewis A., who is en- gaged in the dairy business in Baltimore County; Dorcas E., wife of Col. J. M. Lowe; Anna, who married J. H. Caulk; Mary M., deceased, formerly the wife of Captain Collison; Alice, living in St. Michael's, this county; Mary V., wife of J. E. Wadkins; William R., a professor in Westmin- ster (Md.) College; and Frank W., who was killed on a railroad in West Virginia when he was twenty-five years of age.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Portrait and biographical record of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Part 108

Author: Chapman Publishing Company Publication date: 1898 Publisher: New York, Chapman pub. co. Number of Pages: 906

Author: Chapman Publishing Company
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: New York, Chapman pub. co.
Number of Pages: 906